Gary Anderson has expressed his disapproval of Lewis Hamilton’s sudden change in setup during the recent Grand Prix in China. The seven-time World Champion had a disappointing start to the 2024 Formula 1 season, finishing in second place during the sprint race. Despite showing great speed during the 19-lap race, Hamilton’s weekend took a downward turn when he made a mistake at turn 15 and was knocked out in Q1.
Hamilton admitted to tampering with and altering the setup of his W15 in an attempt to improve its performance. However, this decision backfired as the setup change actually reduced the overall performance of the car. Anderson, a former F1 technical director, was shocked by Hamilton’s “bizarre decision” to change a setup that was already working well.
Anderson questioned why Hamilton chose to completely overhaul the setup instead of making small adjustments. He believes that George Russell’s approach of optimizing the W15 is the right one, as Russell has shown what the car is capable of. Hamilton and the team should accept their current situation instead of making drastic changes.
Anderson also criticized Hamilton for making such a sudden setup change without any time to test it during the sprint weekends. He believes that this is not something a seven-time World Champion should do. Even Hamilton’s fans were shocked by the decision, considering the W15’s narrow operating window.
F1 is a highly competitive sport that requires precision from both drivers and teams. There is no “magic bullet” that can give drivers a significant advantage and lead them to the championship. However, Hamilton’s sudden changes to the setup indicate that he is searching for that magic solution to suddenly compete at the front of the pack. Unfortunately, these setup changes have not been successful so far, which is a cause for concern for Hamilton and the Brackley-based team.
Anderson, who has extensive experience in motorsport, has never seen a sudden breakthrough that propels drivers to the front of the field. He believes that Hamilton’s approach of constantly changing the setup throughout the weekend in hopes of unlocking the W15’s performance is not the right strategy. Hamilton will need to bounce back stronger in the upcoming rounds to silence the critics who have been questioning his form this season.